I get a bit of time to write between cases while on call. It is often in these wee hours that I have time to ask the really hard questions that come from careful observation. Tonights is this. I have taken three patients to the OR tonight for urgent conditions. Each is uninsured, yet all three had the latest Iphones. Infact, one was looking up his condition on Google with one in pre-op. I dont have an Iphone because I thought it was too expensive and then you still had over $150 dollars/month for the sevice plan. I wonder what kind of catastophic health insurance you can get for $150/month? Anyway, it just seems obvious that no matter how cheap you make health insurance there will always be other things that people would rather spend their money on and still wont pay for it no matter how much it costs. Who knows, maybe the next big bill in Congress will allow for a government Iphone option.
3 comments:
Hi Throckmorton - I hear you with the phones. You see those choices... I'll even say abuses among *some* of the mdcd population. Everyone has a right to buy what they want. Just that when you see a more urgent priority,their kids in tattered clothes, obviously living at a low income level and then they have money for booze, cigarettes and phones..or even cars and trucks that I can't afford.. it makes one wonder.
And I know your patients may have money..just not insurance. The thought of not having insurance...any of them scares me.
You pay them *BEFORE* breakfast!
For the 1st time ever..last December...I let our homeowners expire. I was clueless! We've lived in this house..well it will be 32 years Tuesday. My agent called and wanted to know if we were alright because the policy expired and he hadn't heard from us. Fortunately it was only a couple of days and he reinstated us with a new policy. i about died when I heard that and apologized profusely. So much was going on then with my mother and holidays and mother.
Anyway... the idea of not having insurance is an alarming thought and I am grateful for them all.
i was upset that our son would be losing his coverage in November. health ins co said he has 30 days past his birthday when he turns 21 in Oct. So..I've been getting him in for exams.
But then Friday..I thought...wait a minute. This doesn't seem right.
And once again...I proved my theory to be true. Don't e-v-e-r take the word of 1 insurance rep to be true. They may not know what they are doing.
I called back and asked about his coverage and stated..he is still a student and other plans carry the student until at least 22.
That rep said that I was correct and he is covered until next fall.
R-E-L-I-E-F!
Regarding the I-phone patients..that must frustrate you to no end..particularly wondering if you'll get paid.
I hope your insured patients you see in the ED make up for any losses with the uninsured.
I have pared my cell phone down as low as I can get it and i tried to get it lower last week.
I have a phone that is 4 years old. I could update and get a new one..but it's not necessary. I did have the trial internet..which was fun (when I first got it), but dropped it as soon as the billing would kick in.
I'm not in contract now and so use that as leverage and because they don't want me to leave..they offer lower prices and deals. i keep telling them I should go to a track phone. (maybe I really should) but not sure if they work as well.
Anyway, I removed text and went down to a hundred free minutes. Still have free roaming and night weekend hours.
I never used it a lot anyway. I guess I may have to upgrade when I'm working..depends on my job and if I have to be phone accessible. It was *invaluable* for one of my jobs.
I confess..that I would love to have an I-phone to check the blogs or twitter when working if I wanted to (and had time)because those things make the time go so quickly. Not a big twitterer, but would be interesting if bored and killing time. Or play a game on line. Or get directions..that is so cool. :)
If health insurance plans came with spinner rims and iphones everyone would have one.
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